Grinding mill



Oct. 8, 1940. E sHlRLEY A 2,217,568

GRINDING MILL Filed. March 6, 1939 2 Sheets--Sheefl 2 Patented Oct. 8,1940

Y 6 (Jlairns.` This invention relates toqgrinding mills, land thev principalobject is to provide a unit particularly adapted for useV in mixing and grinding Various grains, beans, or other feed material on Lio farms in districts equipped with the now fastspreading rural electric lines,` said -unit consisting of a hammer-type mill driven by a small electric motor havingv an automatic cut-olf, a

pneumatic elevator operated from the mill shaft, and a novel arrangement of hoppers, Apneumatic ducts, and storage bins, so that unground grain, beans, or other feed material may be initially elevated' into certain of the bins, and then fed in regulated amounts and mixtures into the hammer mill, and the ground material elevated into another bin, whereby when in operation with the rate of feed from the first mentioned bins properly regulated, the farmer or operator may go about .other work, leaving the mill unattended, but with assurance that the unit will shut clown due to the automatic cut-off as soon as the iiow of material to the hammer mill ceases.

Other minor objects of the invention will be hereinafter set fort-h.

I will explain the invention with vreference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one practical embodiment thereof to enable others to adopt anduse the same; and will summarize in i the claims, the novel features of construction, and novel combinations of parts, for which protection is desired.

In said drawings:

Fig. i is an elevation of the grindingmill unit.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View showing the arrangement of bins.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation looking into the hammer mill, when the adjacent'side face thereof is removed.

Fig. a is a diagrammatic view indicating the arrangement of hammers on the shaft of the hammer mill.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation looking into the fan casing with the adjacent side face thereof removed.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of the automatic cut-off applied to the motor and operated by the flow of material into the feedchute of the hammer mill.

As shown, the unit preferably comprises a base plate l, on which is mounted a hammer-type millconsisting of a closed casing 2 having parallel side walls, and having a semi-cylindrical top plate 2a below which within the casing is mounted an opposed semi-cylindric screen 3, the plate 2a and screen 3 providing a cylindrical hammer' chamhammers-will vbe 'incentrifu ber inthe upper end of the casing as shown in Fig. 3. Preierablyone end of top plate 2q, is pivoted as at .2b to casing 2, while the other vend has a pair of spaced locking lugs 2c to receive a bolt 2d which is pivcted on a rod 2e on casing 2,

said bolt having a nut 2f whereby top plate 2d may be locked in closed position, or may be swung open to provide access to the' hammer chamber. A downwardly inclined feed chute 4 s'provided on and opening through top plate 2d, having a feed regulating damper da (Fig. 6). Withinthe lower part of casing 2, below screen 3, is a substantially V-shaped'plate 5 for collecting the screenings adjacent the lower center of the casing, and in `one side of ythe. casing opposite the bottom of plate ii is an outlet opening 2g.

Within the cylindricalV hammer chamber of casing v2v is a shaft 5 vjournaled in suitable bearings mounted on the side walls of the casing coaXially of top plate 2a, said shaft 6 extending through the casing Walls and beingprovided on one end witha-belt pulley 5a. The opposite end of shaft. 6 is provided with a keyway, fcr the purpose hereinafter described. FiXedly mountedl on shaft 6 within the casing are a/series of fifteen spaced square shaped plates 6d (Figs. 3 4) having their edges parallel, and through the four corners ofthe series of yplates ed extend pivot rods ee on whichA hammers 'l are pivoted, said hammers consisting of short lengths of flat bars having perforations of each end, the bars being of length sufficient toy extendalmost to the top plate 2a of the casing andto `thescreen 3 when` projected outwardly by centrifugal force. The hammers 'l normally hang freely from rods te whenthe shaft 6 is idle. Hammers 'l are of hard high carbon heat treated steel, and by providing holes at each end ofA the hammers, the same may be reversed four times to provide four wearingsure' faces thereon before replacement-s` are needed.

The fifteen spaced platesld form fourteen spaces for the sixteen hammers 'l which are arranged on the fourv rods 6e as indicated in Fig. 4, whereby the rotating shaft unit including the platesv and hammers being pivo-ted on each rod 6e. In Fig. ll, the hammers l on one rod Se are shown as being disposed within the nrst, fifth,'ten'th and fourteenth spaces between plates iid; the hammers cn the neXt'rod 6e are Adisposed within 5'()y spaces two, siX, nine and thirteen; the hammers on the next rod 6e are disposed within spaces three, seven, eight'and twelve; and the hammers on the last rod 6e are disposed within spaces one,

four, eleven and fourteen. Shaft 6 is driven 'by 55 al balance, four'g125 a small electric motor B mounted on base I having a drive pulley 9a, and a belt 9 preferably of V-type runs around the pulleys 9a and 6a.

When used for grinding ear-corn, a breaker plate I may be provided within the hammer chamber of casing 2, said plate consisting of a hardened ribbed plate of arcuate shape adapted to be mounted on top plate 2a at the forward end of screen 3 in the direction of rotation of-shaft 6, whereby the ears will be thrown by hammers 'I against plate I9 to strip the corn therefrom.

The pneumatic elevating means is preferably mounted directly on the hammer mill casing coaxially of shaft 6, and consists of a circular fan casing I I into which the keyed end of shaft S enters, a fan I la being mounted on said shaft with-` in the fan casing. The inlet to fan casing II is coaxial with the shaft, and consists of a lateral` lhousing I2 (Fig. 1) communicating with fan casing II opposite the shaft 6, said casing I2 having a depending duct I2a provided'with an elbow I3 extending into the outlet 2g of casing 2 above thek V-shaped plate 5, whereby the ground material may be drawn upwardly from the mill into the fan casing. On the top of the lateral housing I2 is a grain hopper i211) provided with a slide valve I2C, whereby hopper I2b may be closed. The outlet lib of fan casing II connects with a duct Irl which extends upwardly and over a series of storage bins IB, ll, I8, I9' arranged on an upper level, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, duct i4 terminating in a dust arrester I5 having a swivel spout I5a adapted to swing over each of the bins i6, II, I8, i9 which are shown arranged in L- shaped formation with the spout pivoted substantially at the axis of the arrangement. Preferably the three bins I6, I'I, i8, which form the long leg of the L are for receiving raw or untreaded grain, beans, or other feed material, while the single bin I9 at the short leg of the L is for ground vfeed or other material; Preferably the bins are mounted in an upper level from base I which level may conveniently be an upper oor of a building, and the lower ends of bins l5, Il, I8 extend down through the upper floor to points somewhat above that of the feed chute 4 of hammer mill 2.

The ground feed bin I9 is contracted at its lower end and provided with a discharge casing I9a disposed a convenient level above base I, said casing |90. having slide valve |917v therein for opening or closing same. The three grain bins IB, I'I and I8 are similarly provided with discharge casings Ia, I'Ia, 18a. having valves IBD, I'Ib', Ib, andA swivel spouts ISC, I'lc, IBC which lead from the discharge casings and may be swung directly over a mixing bin 29 having a swivel spout 29a adapted to be swung so as to overlie the feed chute of hammer mill 2, the swivel spout being provided with a slide valve 29h to regulate the flow of material into the feed chute.

vBy the above arrangement, unground grain, beans or other feed material, may be poured into the hopper 12b of the pneumatic elevator housing I2, and when valve I2C is open, same may be carried pneumatically under action of the fan I Ia into any of the storage bins I6, I'I, or I8 disposed above the mill 2, the swivel spout I5a of the dust collector being adjusted to allow the grain to be deposited into the desired grain bins which may thus be filled with the same or with different kinds of feed material. Whenit is desired to grind the material, the discharge valves ISU, I'Ib, Ib of any of the said bins maybe adjusted to cause a proper amount of material therefrom to ow into the mixing bin 20, and its slide valve 29h adjusted to permit the proper flow therefrom into the hammer mill feed chute 4. The mixed feed will then be ground by mill 2, and after falling through the screen 9, will thereafter be elevated through the velbow I3 by the pneumatic fan I la (when valve I2C is closed) and will be blown upwardly through flue I4 and dust arrester I5 into the ground feed bin I9, the swivel spout I5a being swung thereover. Thus the valves Ibl, HU, Ib, 20h may be regulated and the mill operated to supply ground feed in desired quantities to the ground feed bin I9, without requiring attendance on the part of the operator.

In connection with motor 8, an automatic shutoi is provided, consisting of a plate 22 pivoted intermediate its ends to the sides of the feed chute, said plate projecting beyond the end of the chute, but having a portion 22a (Fig. 6) extending downwardly at an incline into the feed chute onto which the ow of feed from the mixing bin 29 is directed. The outer end of plate 22 is heavier than the portion 22a upon which the grain drops, so that if the flow from mixing bin 28 should cease, the plate .'22 will fall. A motor starter switch 23 is provided having a starter button 23a and a stopping button 231;; and adjacent starter switch 23 is a vertical lever 24 pivoted as at y2da on a fixed support, said lever having an upper adjustable member Zlib thereon which underlies the plate 22. Lever 24 carries an adjustable pin Elle normally just contacting the stopping button 23h of starter 23. By the above arrangement the weight of the grain owing upon the inner end 22a of plate 22, next to the feed regulating slide fla, is sucient to hold that end of the plate down. As soon however as the grain is emptied from mixing bin 2i), the loss of weight at the inner end 22a of the plate will cause the outer end thereof to drop, and by means of the adjustable levers 2li-2M), pin 24e will press the stopping button 231) and stop the motor. The automatic shut-off will permit the mill operator or farmer to start the unit and go about other work with perfect condence that the unit will continue to operate to ll the storage bin I9 with selected groimd feed material, and that the unit will shut down when the flow of unground grain from the mixing bin 29 ceases.

I claim:

1. A grinding mill unit, comprising a mill having a downwardly inclined feed chute; a motor for driving said mill; a series of storage bins disposed above the level of the mill; a fan casing having a fan operated by the motor and having an inlet and outlet; a flue for directing material ground by the mill into said fan inlet; a hopper having a valved connection with the said fan inlet; a second flue extending from the fan outlet to a swivel spout adapted to be swung over the said bins; a mixing bin having a valved spout discharging into the feed chute; means for directing material from certain of the storage bins in regulated amounts into the mixing bin; and means controlled by the ow of material from the mixing bin into the feed chute for stopping the motor when the flow of material ceases.

2. In a unit as set forth in claim l, certain of said storage bins having discharge casings disposed above the level of the mixing bin; and said material directing means comprising valved swivel spouts extending from the related dis- 4. A grinding mill unitl comprising abase; av

mill mounted thereon having a shaft and having a, downwardly inclined Vfeed chute; a motor -on said base for driving said shaft; a series of storage bins disposed above the level of the mill; a fan casing having a fan operated by the shaft and having an inlet and outlet; a flue for directing material ground by the mill into said fan inlet; a hopper having a valved connection with the said fan inlet; a second flue extending from the fan outlet to a swivel spout adapted to be swung over each of the bins; a mixing bin having a valved spout discharging into the feed chute; v

ing bin; and means controlled bythe flow of material from the mixing bin into the feed .chute for stopping the lmotor when the ilow of material ceases.

5. In a unit as set forth in claimk4, certainof said storage bins having discharge casing disposed above the level of the mixing bin;A and said material directing means'comprising valved swivel spouts extending from the `related discharge casings and adapted to b e swung to overlie the mixing bin.

6. In a unit as set forth in claim 4, a dust means for directing material from certain of the l. storage bins in regulated amountsvinto the mixseparator in the second ue, and said swivel spout 15 being mounted on'the dust separator.

LoYD E.` SHIRLEY. 

